Rare galaxy with triple rings discovered that cannot be explained

Scientists have discovered a rare distant galaxy surrounded by three concentric rings. According to scientists, it challenges the understanding of galactic taxonomy.

The amazing image taken by the Japanese Subaru Telescope in Hawaii resembles an interstellar apple. In fact, it is a mysterious galaxy located about 800 million light-years from Earth, LiveScience writes.

According to the standard method of classifying the Hubble sequence, galaxies usually fall into one of four categories: elliptical, lenticular, spiral, and irregular, scientists say.

According to the experts, elliptical galaxies look smooth and egg-shaped in the telescope, with an even distribution of stars. Lenticular galaxies look a bit like flattened ellipses with a bulge in the center. Spiral galaxies, such as our Milky Way, have a similar central bulge, but instead of an outer disk, they have swirling stellar "arms".

And irregular galaxies don't have a predictable, organized shape, say sky researchers.

However, some scientists say that the most common method of classifying galaxies needs to be updated. After all, ring galaxies do not fit into these defined categories.

Although galaxies in the Hubble sequence tend to follow one of two predictable evolutionary paths, no one knows for sure how ring galaxies form. One of the leading hypotheses is that they are the result of collisions between galaxies.

Another hypothesis is that galaxy rings are the result of a natural resonance phenomenon. When interstellar gas within a galaxy moves, it tends to accumulate in certain regions due to gravitational effects. Under certain circumstances, this can create a characteristic ring shape.

The public science project Galaxy Cruise, which is responsible for classifying the Subaru images, is currently considering ring galaxies as the result of collisions. However, it is not known whether this galaxy with three rings was formed as a result of several collisions, a single collision, or some other way.

But scientists are sure of one thing: the discovery of such oddities in space helps scientists to clarify the general understanding of the Universe and the formation of galaxies.

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